One will realize that measuring operations are relevant and useful in a wide variety of arts. However, one particular area that demands accurate, consistent, and expeditious measuring is in the field of carpentry. Indeed, doing so may fairly be considered integral to the proper completion of a given task.
When completing a measurement, it is standard practice in carpentry to employ a measuring means such as a tape measure to measure from a distal end of a work piece to a length along the work piece to which one seeks to cut the work piece. When the appropriate length measurement is reached, one normally will apply a mark of some kind to indicate the desired cutting location.
Unfortunately, as any person who has tried to measure a work piece of any substantial length will attest, as the length of a work piece to be measured increases so does the proportional difficulty in accurately, consistently, and rapidly measuring a cutting length. With a very long length to be measured, the distal end of the work piece and the measuring means must of necessity be significantly distant from the proximal end of the work piece, the main housing of the tape measure, and, of course, the person seeking to measure the work piece.
Consequently, retaining the distal end of the measuring means adjacent to a reference point at the distal end of the work piece can prove difficult and frustrating. With the distal end of the measuring means beyond his or her reach, a person seeking to measure a work piece can find himself or herself helpless to prevent the end of the measuring means from slipping from the reference point on the work piece. Furthermore, the measuring person can be plagued with uncertainty as to whether the distal end of the measuring means is truly aligned with the desired reference point. Consequently, the length to which a work piece is actually measured and cut can differ markedly the intended length. In some cases, such a result can render the work piece unusable scrap. In every case, however, the time spent in measuring and cutting the work piece is wasted and the user experiences at least some level of frustration.
Furthermore, even where a user is able to measure a work piece to a desired cutting length, it is commonly difficult to apply a cutting line to the work piece simultaneously with the measuring operation. For example, a user often is compelled to employ an additional tool for applying a cutting line to the work piece. This commonly is the case where a miter cut is to be made to a work piece. In such situations, a user often must employ a separate angular template to apply a cutting line to the work piece with, for example, a pencil.
With the foregoing in mind, it becomes clear that a device presenting a solution to one or more of the aforementioned difficulties commonly experienced by those seeking to apply an accurately measured cutting line to a work piece would be useful. However, it is still more clear that a device presenting a solution to each and every one of the aforementioned needs while providing a number of heretofore unrealized advantages would represent a marked advance in the art.